After finding an old pendrive, you have decided to connect it to your computer to see the data stored on it. The bad news is that the PC could not detect it. We at Teknologya have decided to create a dedicated tutorial in which we will talk about how to repair non-functional USB stick by following a couple of tips.
How to repair a non-functional USB stick: first method
The first recommended solution to try to repair a not-working USB stick is to take advantage of an instrument included in both Windows and MacOS. These solutions can be applied to all those pendrives that are recognized by the PC but not started correctly because some incomprehensible error messages appear.
On a Windows-equipped computer, when a USB stick is inserted into one of the available USB ports, the error message appears. There is a problem with this unit, it analyzes and corrects it. In this case, you can try to solve it easily by using the Error Checking tool offered by the Microsoft operating system.
Let’s see how to use it:
- Open File Explorer to Windows menu Start typing its name in the search field, and then choose the option This PC from the left sidebar.
- From the window that appears, locate the Devices section and make a right click on the name of the USB drive to be checked.
- From the menu displayed, press the Properties item and then press on the Tools tab from the small window that appears.
- At this point, from the Error Checking section, press the Check button and then choose Analyze and Restore Units in the next window.
We specify that the USB stick can not be used during analysis and recovery. In addition to this, it may take a few minutes to complete and even in some cases a computer restart is required. If all went well, after completing the checking process, the USB drive should work properly.
If you own a Mac, then you can rely on the SOS tool integrated into macOS which allows you to repair damaged pendrive. Let’s see how to proceed:
- From the Launchpad, click on Disk Utility and then press first on the name of the pendrive and then on the SOS button.
- To perform the analysis and recovery procedure, press the Execute button.
- At the end of the procedure, the controlled USB drive should return to work perfectly.
How to repair a non-functional USB stick: with this method
If you fail with the first solution, you will have to resort to formatting. This operation will result in the loss of all data stored on the non-functional USB drive.
If you have a computer with Windows on board, then do so:
- Open File Explorer as indicated in the last lines and then press on This PC to access its folder.
- At this point, make a right click on the name of the pendrive and choose Format from the menu that appears.
- Now, start the formatting procedure by simply clicking on Start and confirming by clicking OK. If desired, you can perform a more accurate (and long) formatting by unchecking the Quick Formatting item and then clicking on Start and OK.
If you had a Mac, however, you can use the Reset tool proposed by the Apple operating system to format a damaged USB stick in a few simple steps.
Here’s how to proceed:
- Open Disk Utility via the Launchpad and, from the screen that opens, click on the name of the USB drive.
- After that, press the Reset button twice in a row to complete the operation. As a format we advise you to use ExFAT as it is compatible with both Windows and MacOS and is also able to handle any type of memory capacity.
How to repair a USB not working with physical damage
Finally, if the problem is physical and not virtual damage (eg the connector is damaged or bent), then you can not take advantage of any of the solutions mentioned earlier. In this case, evaluate the importance of the data contained on it to choose whether or not to rely on companies specialized in data recovery.
These companies, in fact, have the necessary tools to repair peripherals and in some cases even to recover data on them through advanced procedures. Naturally, this option provides for the payment of a certain sum of money which in some cases may be quite high.